By Fire Well and Tree

Twelfth Night Altar We pulled a rune for each of the nights of Yule.  In my head, I was thinking that each rune would be for a month, BUT THEN, I realized two things: I was going to do it all again in June for Midsummer, a mere 6 months away rather than a whole year. My philosophy, based on nothing more than a hunch, is that long-term readings are only for about 6 months into the future. There's just too much other stuff out there that can impact the energies for me to feel comfortable going out any further than that. As with everything, others' mileages may vary. Therefore, each night was still a rune pull, but the pairs of runes will go through the first half the year. One last caveat, I also believe that all runes are in play at all times, but that at certain times, some move to the forefront. January:  Fehu - Ehwaz The new year starts off with extra fire and energy, and perhaps a little extra in our wallets, too. Fehu's abundance extends beyond the...

At this, the balance point of the year, I engaged in a 3 day devotional. The devotional honors my local ecosystem, and the Norse pantheon in the Northern Hemisphere, but it can easily be flipped around for the Southern hemisphere. I also originally wrote this as a devotional to specific deities, inspired by two large group rites in  The Troth 's Book of Blots. I scaled them down to just a simple devotional and offeratory framework, substituting general themes and suggested offerings for liturgical scripting.  I shared this with ADF in the mode of the "Yule-a-long," that druids all over the globe (because we have them now) can drive a current of "druidy energy around the world." Ideally, folks would honor the deities that are most appropriate for the themes from their own hearth practices, and that reflect their local ecosystems as well.  In retrospect, one could also honor the energies of moving from light to dark. The altar is arranged in three sections. On...

As part of the Twelve Days of Yule, I pulled a rune each day to get an omen for each month of the coming year.  While I report what I see, it's entirely possible that anyone reading this will get a different interpretation, based on their own life-path.  Please take these things as general trends. Overall -- Raidho.  The over all theme of the year is the journey.  It can be a physical journey, or travel, but I feel this is about something much more spiritual and internal that will happen.  Many people may experience a re-awakening or discover a new interest in the realm of their spirituality, or other things they strongly believe.  They may become more politically active.  Whatever the direction, it is good to remember "The point of the journey is not to arrive" (Peart, "Prime Mover"). January -- Hagalaz.  No one likes Hagalaz, it's not all bad.  Hagalaz is the seed egg, the whole of potential contained into one small package.  It is the...

PSA:  I will be starting a 4-session rune class at  Enchanted Elements  starting Wednesday, December 9.  Follow that link to enroll.  there will be 4 sessions: Introduction to Norse cosmology Freyr's Aett (first 8 runes) Hodr's Aeitt (second 8 runes) Tyr's Aeitt (final 8 runes) PSA2: I will be at  Pure Joy Massage and Yoga  on December 19 for readings, reiki, and a workshop/meditation on the spiritual gifts of Winter. And now, on to the forecast. I like to do two  of these...one centered on the 8 High Days (solar year) and one for each month (lunar year).  This one is done using the Druid Plant and Animal Oracle.  As always you can search for the images if you like, to see what meanings you can draw from them personally.   In keeping with the sort of Jungian interpretation (I know not exactly ), for the Solar year I focus on what energies are go come for the community at large, although I've often found that people who...

It has been a while.  We had a death in the family.  And I could not regain my equilibrium to be able to do my spiritual work.  That is, of course, the time one most needs it...however that is also easy to say and believe when you are not living it. So this evening, after the grove rite, after my spouse had gone to bed, I decided to do some work.  I actually decided after the latest death of a family member of a friend.  This year, 2015, has been particularly hard in this realm.  People I know have lost loved ones.  WE lost a loved one.  I had decided I was quite done with all this loss and was going to give the Lord of the Dead a piece of my mind. I drummed myself to the Underworld, this time trying to be purposeful and methodical as I went through the steps.  (I tend to jump from place to place, or "bamph" as one friend called it.  I always feel I should slow down though.)  I got to the bridge, crossed, found the gate open as ...

Hi there folks, I will get to our forecast for March in a moment.  Sadly, I can NOT tell if we are going to ever thaw out and if spring will actually spring or if this is really Ragnarok, as I keep fearing.  First though, I returned last weekend from Convocation  in Michigan.  This is a really well done event, and I was glad to be presenting and participating.  My classes (Indo European Warrior Goddesses, and Coffee and Piety) were well attended.  (Coffee and Piety had three, but for early Sunday morning after the big Saturday night party, I will take that as a win.)  In the process, I discovered how blessed we are as pagans to have easy access, relatively speaking, to the "elders" of our faiths.  I put that in quotes, as I think I might be the same age as a few of them.  However, being able not only to sit in workshops with them as they present their information, but then also to be able have conversations afterward or the next day is some...

It's almost February and it's high time I get this posted. My Solstice season was...trying.  I was sick... really sick.  I did not get to do my 12 Days of Yule, nor any of the other activities I enjoy doing.  So I'm playing catch up for my Year in Preview Reading.  I actually did the spreads on January 7.  I decided to incorporate two of my favorite tools, the runes (obviously) and the Druid Animal/Plant oracle.  Annually, I have done a Druid Oracle spread on Samhain of every year for myself for the year to come.  This year I decided to start doing one for "the community at large," take that for what you will. (I am also celebrating Nine Days of Brighid with for Imbolc, a home hearth devotional organized by Sassafras Grove, ADF. Look for it on Facebook!) The Druid Oracle cards mark transitions at each of the quarter and cross quarter days.  The runes are monthly.  One could see them as lunar and the Oracale cards as solar if you wish,...